Vringo has brought its Facetones social application to Verizon's V Cast Apps store. The Facetones app lets users creates an automated video slideshow using friends' photos from social networking and photo sites and then plays the slideshow when the phone rings. The app, which is available through a 99 cent monthly subscription or purchase of $2.99, will initially integrate with Facebook. Relaunched in March, Verizon's app storefront can be accessed on more than 20 Android and BlackBerrydevices and offers thousands of apps, games and other content. It also includes direct billing of purchases to customers' monthly wireless bills. …

Publicis Groupe's ZenithOptimedia has promoted two of its own to fill the shoes of David Ehlers, who this summer was promoted to president of Optimedia U.S. The agency network has promoted Neil Ascher to the new position of North American managing director, president, diversified services for ZenithOptimedia. In addition, the shop promoted Sean Peters to senior vice president, director of corporate development. Ehlers succeeded Antony Young, who left Optimedia to become North American CEO at WPP's Mindshare. Previously, Ehlers' duties included oversight of corporate development, Newcast and ZO Multicultural. Ascher will oversee core diversified businesses operated …

Steve Jobs, who cofounded Apple and later led the company through its most innovative and profitable period to date, is dead at the age of 56. Jobs had battled cancer since his diagnosis with islet cell neuroendocrine cancer in 2004, including a liver transplant in the first half of 2009. Jobs announced his resignation as CEO of Apple in August of this year, handing the top spot over to chief operating officer Tim Cook.

Android maintained a sizeable lead over its rivals for the three months ending in August, with a 43.7% share of the U.S. smartphone market, according to new comScore data. That level represents a 5.6 percentage point gain from the previous three-month period. By contrast, Research in Motion's BlackBerry platform saw its share fall from 24.7% to 19.7% during the summer months as the once leading smartphone player in the U.S. continued to struggle against Google and Apple. Apple's share increased almost one percentage point to 27.3%, second only to Android. Rounding out the top five were Microsoft's …

Microsoft Wednesday said nearly 40 TV and entertainment providers, including AT&T, BBC, Comcast, HBO, Rogers, Telefónica, Televisa and Verizon will roll out entertainment services to Xbox LIVE this holiday season in more than 20 countries. The new features and providers integrating with Kinect and Xbox Live furthers Microsoft's vision to make the box an entertainment center, rather than game console. Using voice search with Bing on Xbox scans across a variety of branded services and plays the programming without touching a handheld device. Voice commands through Kinect let users maneuver through the options.

Over the past couple of weeks I've heard two anecdotes basically related to how closely Virgin Airlines listens to social media comments about itself--and how quickly they respond. The latest tale was told by New York Times columnist David Carr at an Advertising Week event he moderated Tuesday afternoon. He recalled a recent Virgin flight he was on where a young couple sat next to him and the guy half of the couple smelled like he had used an entire can of Axe Body Spray just before boarding. A little overwhelming to say the least. So Carr …

With communications transcending from analog to multiple digital platforms, where consumers have more control, marketing is no longer about the medium being the message as media guru Marshall McLuhan famously theorized. According to research and design expert Bill Buxton, principal researcher at Microsoft, marketing's new guiding principle should be "the experience is the message." Buxton made the case for his theory during an Advertising Week presentation Tuesday afternoon. He provided what he called a "made up example" to demonstrate his point. Nike, let's say, has an outdoor ad campaign on city bus shelters. Nike's ad makers, said …

If the new iPhone 4S has left the Apple faithful and others a bit underwhelmed, that doesn't mean its going to be a bust. In a post this afternoon, Christian Lindholm, chief innovation officer, at agency Fjord, said Apple has built a smart, if not sexy new iPhone. "The lack of must have and wow was missing today, but the intelligent updates that were unveiled; an 'emotional' Siri assistant, better camera, longer battery life, faster processor, better operating system, faster data, further build the credibility, trust and deep bond between user and brand," he wrote. He added Apple is smart …

At Tuesday morning's NBCU Power of the Purse event actress Sarah Jessica Parker was the star du jour who was interviewed by Andy Cohen I think his name is. She was introduced with almost exuberant adoration by one of the network's marketing execs, who apotheosized her as a woman who does it all: mom, marketer, philanthropist, actor, artist. "I don't know how she does it." I do. It's called the Help. To me the woman "who does it all" is a single mom has to raise kids on her job as a nurse's aid without completely losing her mind, …

Major magazine publishers have raced to create digital editions for tablets and other connected devices in the last couple of years. MPA - The Association of Magazine Media, is now catching up by publishing a guide to tablets, e-readers and smartphones for publishers and advertisers. The document covers a wide range of topics from differences among devices to app development options to distribution models and measurement. Each of the nine sections includes data from recognized industry sources along with original MPA research, graphics and insights. In addition, the MPA has released a digital glossary of more than 350 …